As a professional photographer or videographer, you strive to produce the best work for your clients. Quality plays an important role in your product, and, unfortunately, there's a lot of room for subjectivity. There's no accounting for the temperament of a client, and if they feel that you did not produce the work they paid for, a costly lawsuit might be on the horizon.

Professional Liability Insurance — also known as Errors and Omission Insurance — protects your business from professional errors, whether they are real or perceived. Read on to learn more about how Professional Liability Insurance can protect your photography or videography business.

Liability Insurance Protects

Professional Liability Insurance: Protecting Photographers and Videographers from Professional Mistakes

A Professional Liability claim is one in which someone outside of your business — like a client — alleges you or an employee make a professional error that caused them financial loss. These professional mistakes include…

Not fulfilling promised services. Let's say a fire starts in your studio and destroys a client's wedding film before you've had a chance to back it up. Now you can't get the photos back, and your client could say that you did not complete the services you promised.

Carelessness. An employee was asked to process film on a tight deadline, but she over-processed and the client is not happy with the work or your employee's carelessness.

Was poorly executed or simply wrong. A client wants her wedding ceremony shot in a specific style, but when she reviews the film, it looks like all the photos were shot with the wrong settings.

Forgot to do something. A client asks for a few specific shots, but you forgot to do them.

Any of these incidents could result in a lawsuit, and your Professional Liability coverage can help pay for the legal ramifications even if the claim turns out to be unfounded. In addition, some Errors and Omissions plans will reimburse you for any lost income you may have incurred while defending yourself in court.

Key Details

Photographers and Videographers: Key Details About Your Professional Liability Insurance

The specific needs of your photography or videography business might be different than your colleague's down the street. That's why your Professional Liability Insurance can be adjusted to reflect your studio's unique risks and needs.

Photographer liability coverage can pay for a wide range of expenses, including…

Reshoot expenses. If your car breaks down on the way to a shoot and you miss it, your clients could say you should have had a backup plan. Your E & O insurance could pay for costs related to scheduling errors and damaged or lost film.

Legal defense and court costs. This could include things like judgments and settlements.

Attorney fees. In order to demonstrate that you're not liable for the mistakes or omissions you're charged with, you'll need help from a legal professional familiar with how the court system works.

One important thing to remember is that Professional Liability / Errors and Omissions insurance only covers your business on a "claims-made" basis. This means, in order to receive insurance benefits, your policy must be in place when the professional mistake happens and when you file your claim.

Because of this, insureon recommends that you keep a Professional Liability policy for the life of your business. But if you must cancel full coverage at any point, you might want to replace it with a more basic plan that still allows you to make claims on a previously reported incident.

Lastly, coverage limits and deductibles can vary, depending on the specific needs and risks of your photography or videography business. Generally speaking, Errors and Omissions insurance is sold in $1 million increments and deductibles can range anywhere from $1,000 to $25,000.

When you're ready to add Photographer Liability Insurance to your business insurance plan, contact an insureon agent who specializes in the needs of photographers and videographers. He or she will help you find a policy that meets the unique needs of your studio or freelance business.

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Don't Shoot in the Dark - A Risk Management Guide for Photographers and Videographers